- Amsterdam, Netherlands
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$5 Million in Financial Aid
Academics
IES Abroad’s mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
www.ahk.nl/en/conservatorium
The Conservatorium van Amsterdam takes full advantage of Amsterdam’s established reputation in music to offer outstanding instruction in classical and jazz music performance, theory, and composition. The Conservatorium is dedicated to upholding superior standards of teaching, performing, and creating music through a highly-individualized course of study. It aims to train you to become a versatile musician at the highest level of professional musicianship. If you wish to study at the CvA, you should be a strong Performance, Composition, or Theory major with the motivation and intention to become a professional musician, a music scholar, or a composer.
A member of the Amsterdam School of the Arts, the CvA was originally established as the Amsterdam Conservatorium in 1884. The vast majority of courses at the CvA are taught in English.
Courses
In close consultation with our staff, you establish a personalized, full-time (15-credit) course of study that includes applied and theoretical aspects of music study with electives and optional courses. The mandatory practical component of the curriculum is a combination of one-on-one and small-group instruction.
Study includes highly-individualized lessons with a tutor and participation in an extensive chamber music and ensemble program, and culminates in final performances. Theoretical components aim at developing musical imagination and perception. Core subjects include offerings in ear training (aural skills courses), analysis, harmony, counterpoint, and composition.
CvA offers courses within the departments of Classical and Jazz:
- Brass Instruments
- Historical Instruments (Classical only)
- Improvisation (Jazz only)
- Percussion
- Piano and Other Keyboard Instruments
- String Instruments
- Voice
- Woodwind Instruments
Elective Courses
The elective component includes additional performance and theory options. Within both the Classical and Jazz departments, elective courses are available in:
- Analysis
- Arranging
- Chamber Music
- Composition
- Conducting
- Continuo Playing and Directing Ensembles
- Counterpoint
- Drama
- Ear Training
- Harmonic Analysis of the Piano
- Harmony
- Music and Social History (History of Western Music)
- Orchestra or Ensemble Projects (Big Band, Baroque Ensemble, Jazz Formations, Gameland Fusion Groups)
Optional IES Abroad Course
You can choose to enroll in a 2-credit CU 101 Dutch language and culture course at the IES Abroad Center
Location
Designed by Frits van Dongen and opened in 2008, the CvA’s building includes recital halls, classrooms, practice rooms, and offices. The facility is located in the center of Amsterdam, across the street from the Muziekgebouw, the purpose-built home of contemporary music and jazz in Amsterdam.
Courses
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU/DU 101 - Dutch Language and Culture | Fall, Spring | Dutch | 2 |
| IC/CU 221 - Dialogues on Difference | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU/DU 101 - Dutch Language and Culture | Fall, Spring | Dutch | 2 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC/CU 221 - Dialogues on Difference | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
Advising & Support
Even though you’re directly enrolling in one of our partner institutions, we’re here for you whenever you need us.
Advising
Before you leave home, we offer you predeparture advising that’s specific to your needs. Our goal is to provide support and guidance throughout your application and enrollment process.
But our advising services don’t stop there. While you’re in Amsterdam, our staff is available to help you transition into your new home. Creating a plan of study at a school abroad can be confusing and overwhelming. When you arrive on-site, we are available to answer your questions while you work with your home and host schools to figure out what courses you need to complete while in the Netherlands.
Support
The support services we offer IES Abroad direct enrollment students are specifically designed to help you achieve your study abroad goals as effectively and smoothly as possible. We know studying abroad is an adventure, and, at times, you may need help or just someone to talk to—that’s why our staff is there for you.
Field Trips & Events
Even though your adventure starts in Amsterdam, our field trips take you beyond the city to discover the culture and traditions of your host country. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. Here are a few possible destinations:
Ardennes, Belgium
2 Days| Fall
Take a weekend getaway in nature, with campfires and outdoor activities.
Gouda
1 Day | Fall
Take a guided walking tour of the beautiful city of Gouda in South Holland and make your own stroopwafel (a famous Dutch cookie).
National Park Hoge Veluwe and Kroller Muller Museum
1 Day | Fall
Visit the largest privately managed conservation area in the Netherlands - home to several endangered species, as well as visit the park's museum.
Maastricht
2 Days | Spring
Explore this university city with its beautiful medieval architecture and lively arts and culture. Visit the famous labyrinth caves of Limburg, and take a walk in the spectacular hilly countryside.
Rotterdam
1 Day | Spring
See Rotterdam's amazing modern architecture on a guided walking tour through this rebuilt city. In the afternoon, you can explore Rotterdam's many museums.
Daily Life
Part of making you feel at home in Amsterdam is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services.
Orientation
The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad Amsterdam staff, your fellow students, and the city of Amsterdam.
Our Comprehensive Orientation & Re-Entry Experience (CORE™) begins right when you arrive and continues through the semester with activities focusing on academic and cultural adjustment. Detailed information about housing, public transportation, culture, health and safety, and other important topics are also covered.
Following IES Abroad orientation, you participate in an orientation at your host institution to get to know the staff and facilities.
Local field trips and activities are also arranged, as well as an overnight orientation trip, where you’ll have the opportunity to further sample elements of Dutch culture and get to know the other students.
Housing
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Amsterdam, it will feel like home.
As part of IES Abroad’s direct enrollment services, we arrange well-located, comfortable housing for all students because securing housing independently can be challenging. IES Abroad’s housing options reflect the local student culture and meet our safety and security standards.
You can choose from two different apartment options. Both options include an ensuite bathroom with shower.
Shared Studio Apartments
Share a spacious double roomin a studio apartment with an IES Abroad student or another international student. Each room is equipped with a kitchenette. A resident assistant lives on-site
Residence Hall
Live in a single room with a private bathroom. You share a kitchen with other students on your floor. The building features a 24-hour reception and a gym. This option carries an additional cost.
Meals are not included in either option, but you can cook your own meals or eat in nearby student canteens (Mensas) and restaurants.
Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events
Redefine the way you live and learn in Amsterdam through cultural events, such as:
- Seeing the windmills in the Zaanse Schans
- Visiting a cheese market in Alkmaar, followed by canoeing on the Alkmaar canals
- Touring the Keukenhof tulip garden (spring only)
- Visiting Hoge Veluwe National Park
- Bicycling to Volendam and Marken
- Exploring the medieval castle Muiderslot and the Isle of Pampus
Get to Know Your New City
Rent or buy a cheap bike and get around Amsterdam the way the Dutch do!
From excellent coffee and sweet stroopwafels and poffertjes (tasty little pancakes), to more unusual fare like thick fries with Dutch-Indonesian peanut sauce or stamppot (a hearty dish of potatoes, onions, kale, root vegetables, and sausage), eating in Amsterdam is a real treat.
Stock up on fresh produce, cheese, and other food, as well as souvenirs and gifts at the Albert Cuypmarkt. Or dig for the perfect find at the I-J Hallen vintage market.
Amsterdam is home to so many art museums, from the “big ones,” like the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum to lesser known gems like the Museum Willet-Hothuysen and the Foam Photography Museum.
For a thrill, try riding the swings found on the observation deck on the new A’DAM Tower. Or just marvel at the beautiful 360° views of the city.
Program Cost
Consider these prices as a starting point. We encourage you to contact your study abroad office to determine the actual cost to you when factoring in financial aid, scholarships, your home school policies, and other factors.
Use our budget worksheet to calculate your costs
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